Sleeping in Town
by Rockport268
Summary: Favor and Rowdy have to stay in town for the night.


_Crossposted from AO3; I am **not** currently taking prompts._

_Disclaimer: I've only seen about a dozen episodes of Rawhide, and that was quite a few months ago, so I apologize for the details and characterizations I got wrong._

_Prompt: sharing a bed._

* * *

It had been a long day. Most days were long, out on the drive. Today, though, had been sort of a break from the usual tedium. They'd managed to arrive outside the next town about midday. It took a little pushing, but Wishbone had sworn it was going to snow, and the overcast sky seemed to be in agreement. And after setting up camp, Favor had taken Rowdy into town to get some much-needed supplies. Unfortunately, while in the general store, day had prematurely turned into night as a blizzard had started raging outside, so Favor had been forced to ask the man at the counter where he and his friend could find a place to stay for the night.

"Right up the street, at ol' Millie's place," he'd said. "She's got a spare room or two that she's sometimes willing to let."

"Thanks," Favor said, collecting his change and grabbing his goods. He piled them into Rowdy's arms and grabbed the two remaining packages for himself.

Millie's place wasn't hard to find, even with the snow. She had a sign up, "Rooms to Rent," along with a short list of types of people who were not welcome. Favor wasn't sure how she could afford to be so picky in a small town like that, but he figured he could be righteously angry about it tomorrow. Right now, they needed shelter. Luckily, Rowdy either had the same idea or he couldn't see over the packages piled in his arms.

At the door, they were greeted by a shrewd looking older woman.

"Yes?" she said.

"Hi," Favor said, putting on his friendliest smile. "We're looking for a couple of rooms for the night."

"I might have one," the woman said. "That all depends. I don't rent to no troublemakers."

Next to him, Rowdy poked his head over the pile of packages and flashed a smile of his own. "You don't have to worry about us, Ma'am," he said. "We're as straight-laced as they come."

It took all of Favor's years of being a trail boss not to bust out laughing. But Rowdy seemed to have won her over.

"I've got a feeling you're talking out of your behind, but I trust you to stick to your word until tomorrow," Millie said. "And don't think I won't throw you both out into the snow if you don't."

"Yes, Ma'am," they both said, not exactly in unison, and she tilted her head towards the back.

"I've got a barn out back. You can take care of your horses there, then come back inside."

Favor and Rowdy led their horses to the back, put their supplies down in the corner, and bed down their horses with practiced ease before returning to the house.

"I've only got one room right now, so you'll have to make do," she said, leading them to it. She pulled a key out of her apron and unlocked the door. "I'll give you the key so you can get back in again if you decide to go out, but while you're here, it stays with me. I'll respect your privacy as long as you don't give me reason to think you're getting up to no good in there."

"Sounds fair," Favor said.

Millie gave a satisfied nod and left. Favor and Rowdy stepped into the room. While Rowdy dumped his parcels on top of the wardrobe, Favor gave the bed a once over.

"What side do you want, Mr. Favor?" Rowdy asked, that grin of his back on his face.

"Oh, either side, doesn't matter," he said. Rowdy promptly plopped himself down on the side he was closest to and lay back, stretching out to his full height. Suddenly, the bed seemed considerably smaller. Ah, well; they'd make do.

Favor sat down on his side of the bed and stripped himself of his outer layer of clothing, folding it neatly on the ground.

"You'd better get undressed," Favor said to Rowdy, who was already starting to doze off after their long day.

"Sure thing, Boss," he said, rousing himself. He, too, stripped off his clothes, throwing them into a heap. Before he could collapse back onto the bed, Favor yanked the blanket back so he wouldn't fall asleep on top of it instead of underneath it. Rowdy didn't seem to notice, his breath evening out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

It took Favor a bit longer to fall asleep. He couldn't help but worry about the men and the herd. Sure, he'd left them both in very capable hands, but no matter how many times he told himself that, he couldn't soothe his anxiety completely. Favor decided to switch tactics, instead focusing on the quiet snoring next to him, and soon he fell asleep.

* * *

Soon enough, Favor once again became aware of the room around him. It was still dark, so he knew it wasn't yet morning. And at some point during the few hours Favor had been asleep, Rowdy had entangled himself with him. His arms were wrapped around him, a leg was thrown over his own. The question of which side of the bed each would sleep on seemed comical now, since Rowdy had evidently come to join Favor on his.

* * *

The next time Favor woke up, Rowdy had backed off a little. Not a whole lot, but some. Favor could feel why-their combined body heat was turning the bed into a furnace. But Favor knew that wasn't why he had woken up. No, the reason for that was...well, it was a strange mixture of habit and the change in habit. Favor usually woke up a few times during the night, mostly to keep an eye on the cattle and the men, but the change in scenery—and his sleeping companion—simultaneously served to keep him from falling into a long, deep sleep. But Favor didn't mind; in a way, it was like any other night on the trail.

* * *

The last time Favor woke up, it was because of a sudden push and a loss of warmth and pressure. It was light now, the sun shining in through the window, leaving Favor wondering just how long he'd overslept. He spotted Rowdy sitting on the edge of his side of the bed, putting his clothes back on.

"Morning, Mr. Favor," he said.

"Morning," Favor said, getting out of bed and going to the window. For all its bluster last night, the storm hadn't left a lot to show. They'd be able to make it back to the bedground easily, though they'd probably end up losing the day. That was all right; the men needed the break, anyway.

After a delicious home-cooked breakfast with Millie, Favor and Rowdy went out back to saddle up the horses. Rowdy packed what parcels he could into his saddlebags and tied the rest to the back of the horse, and they set off back to camp.


End file.
